Oxford, North Carolina
|blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 1021773 |website = |footnotes = }} Oxford is a city in Granville County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,461 at the 2010 censusUnited States Census 2010, US Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-11-15 It is the county seat of Granville County . History The town's history dates to 1761, when local legislator Samuel Benton built a plantation home and called it Oxford. The legislature ordered the area around his plantation to be the seat of Granville County. The city was not incorporated until 1816. http://www.oxfordnc.org/history.htm The first Masonic orphanage for children in the United States was built in Oxford. It was originally established as St. John's College in 1858. The college floundered however. In 1872 the community suggested that the property be used to educate the less fortunate. In December 1873 the first residents were admitted to the Oxford Orphans Asylum, which is today known as the Masonic Home for Children. http://www.mhc-oxford.org/ In 1851 James H. Horner established Horner Military Academy, which served many young men from New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina and other states. Many of the students went on to become leaders in the United States government, such as James Crawford Biggs, Solicitor General under President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the inception of the New Deal. The Oxford Female College was established in 1851 by the North Carolina Baptists. After suffering financial difficulties, the college was sold and it became a private educational institution renamed Oxford Female Seminary. In 1880 F. P. Hobgood took over leadership of the school, and it flourished until his death in 1924. The school closed the following year. In 1883 the state legislature established the Colored Orphan Asylum in Oxford. Henry Plummer Cheatham, a former US Congressman (1889-1893), was appointed as superintendent in the early 1900s and led the institution for 28 years. In 1970, Henry Marrow was killed in Oxford. The killing resulted in a racial protest. The events were chronicled by Timothy Tyson in the book Blood Done Sign My Name. Geography Oxford is located at (36.311903, -78.590762) . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Oxford contains three voting precincts in Granville County: Credle, East Oxford, and South Oxford. Demographics As of the census of 2010, there were 8,461 people in 3,410 households in the city. The population density was 1,880.2 people per square mile (729.4/km²). There were 3,771 housing units at an average density of 838.0 per square mile (325.1/km²). The racial composition of the city was: 55.6% Black or African American, 38.6% White, 1.1% Asian American, 0.4% Native American, 2.5% Other, and 1.8% two or more races. 4.8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino American There were 3,410 households out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.48. In the city, the age distribution of the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 10.6% from 25 to 34, 18.1% from 35 to 49, 19.7% from 50 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 79.4 males. The median incomeUS Census FactFinder Retrieved 2011-11-15 for a household in the city was $32,050 and the mean income was $48,293. The median and mean income for a family was $49,787 and $62,355, respectively. The per capita income for the city was $20,729. About 16.9% of families were at or below the poverty line, including 38.6% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those age 65 or over. Of the total city population, 20.6% were at or below the poverty line. Government The Mayor of Oxford is Jackie Sergent. The Oxford City Commissioners are Danny Currin, Calvin Harris Jr., Howard G. Herring Sr., Betty Moseley, Ron Bullock, Robert T. Williford Sr., and Frank Strickland. Economy Oxford is home to Revlon, whose largest manufacturing facility is in Oxford. The headquarters of the Revlon IT/IS department is also located in Oxford. CertainTeed has a roofing supplies plant in the city. Biofuels Center of North Carolina is located in the community. Notable people * Tiny Broadwick - parachutist pioneer * Benjamin Chavis - civil rights activist * Henry Plummer Cheatham, US Congressman (1889-1893) of the 2nd Congressional district, principal of the Colored Orphan Asylum in Oxford for 28 years * Driicky Graham- Hip-Hop Artist * Franklin Wills Hancock, Jr.- Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives * Richard Moore - North Carolina State Treasurer * Thad Stem, Jr. - poet, author, newspaper columnist * Abraham Watkins Venable(October 17, 1799 – February 24, 1876) * James E. Webb - Administrator of NASA who guided the USA lunar landing thrust Schools * C. G. Credle Elementary School * J.F. Webb High School * J.F. Webb High School of Health and Life Sciences * Joe Toler-Oak Hill Elementary School * Mary Potter Middle School * Northern Granville Middle School * West Oxford Elementary School References External links * Official website of Oxford, NC * Oxford Historic Preservation Commission * Granville County Historical Society Museums * George C. Shaw Museum * Central Children's Home - Oxford images * Masonic Children's Home - Oxford images * 1882 Map of Oxford, NC * Slideshows and Oxford History Category:Settlements established in 1761 Category:Cities in North Carolina Category:Cities in Granville County, North Carolina Category:County seats in North Carolina